Singer-songwriter Matthew Andrae had just experienced
the incredible power of You Tube.
Imagine waking up to 15,000 new emails with 1000 new ones coming in every hour. The emails are from people you don't know who want to congratulate you, share their most personal emotions about your music and meet you in person. Among these thousands of emails are others who want to sign you to their record label, manage your career, schedule interviews, and book your act. The first thing you might think is that you are still dreaming. "I remember smiling in disbelief" says Matthew Andrae, "Nobody gets that many emails except maybe Russell Crowe".
Apache singer-songwriter Matthew Andrae has been living, writing and performing for tourists in his native Santa Fe for over a decade. He sold over 50,000 CD’s on his own, but his music remained a regional phenomenon.
"I posted a song I wrote ("Sweet Celine") for my new daughter on You Tube. I had been hearing all about You Tube for a long time from my fans but I never understood the global reach of the site. I bought an $18 webcam and posted my most recent song, just to see what would happen".
What happened was an overnight leap from lounge singer to international recording artist. "Sweet Celine" garnered over half a million views in five days. Mathew's other videos have given him over 800,000 combined views. Matthew signed a recording contract and is now set to launch a new album on the world stage. "In the past six months, I have worked with some of my musical heroes and make the album of my dreams. I am extraordinarily fortunate"
Matthew's music combines the groove of a Stevie Wonder with the emotional charge of a Tracy Chapman. His songs are played on a Guitalele (a cross between a classical guitar and a tenor ukulele). Produced by Dominique Fillon and recorded by Helik Hadar in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Paris and Australia, Matthew's new album "Born" boasts an all-star line-up of great musicians and engineers with fourteen Grammy awards between them. Members include Steve Rodby from the Pat Metheny Group who supplies the bass foundation along with Stephane Huchard on drums and Mark Punch for the guitars. This fantastic acoustic pop album which reveals Matthew's incredible melodies and deep lyrics were mixed by Helik Hadar who's recent work includes not only Tracy Chapman, Walter Becker and Madeleine Peyroux, but also was responsible for recording the 2008 Album of the year Grammy award winning album from Herbie Hancock. The album has been mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles.
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In musician-songwriter Matthew Andrae's tender lyrics, a new father reflects on the sweet joy of his daughter's birth — and how his life will change.
Since Andrae posted a video on YouTube last December of himself singing "Sweet Celine" and accompanying himself on the guitalele (a cross between a classical guitar and a tenor ukulele), the song has racked up 574,365 hits and touched many listeners.
"I only wish my father would (express the same love), and the father of my children in the future," wrote one.
Within weeks of the posting, Andrae's recording of "Sweet Celine" became the No. 1 featured video on YouTube and recently won him a contract with a French music publishing company.
Andrae leaves for Paris on Monday for a concert and pre-production work on the recording.
The sudden success is a surprise. Andrae has been performing in Santa Fe for 15 years, mainly at the Inn at Loretto. "I always thought if I had a kid, my career would go bye-bye," he said. Instead, the birth of his daughter and now the popularity of "Sweet Celine" have produced "the most eventful year I've ever had."
Andrae, 41, was born at Santa Fe Indian Hospital. His mother is Jicarilla Apache. He never knew his father while growing up. At age 1 1/2, he was adopted by a Los Alamos family.
The birth of his daughter prompted him to ponder his own origins. "It made me think of all the things I would like to have had (in my own childhood) that I'd like to give my kid. It's not rocket science. It's trying to be there as much as possible," he said.
"Sweet Celine" is one of 11 music videos Andrae has made in his home studio and posted on his YouTube site. "You sit in front of a Web cam and play your stuff. It's no great art," he said. But he's gotten a combined 710,000 hits, e-mails from all over the world and many offers to manage his career. "To feel like I've been seen is really important to me," he said.
The offer that appealed to him most was from Les Editions Raoul Breton, an elite music company owned by French tenor Charles Aznavour (known as the Frank Sinatra of France) and Gerard Davoust. Two of its artists have sold more than 100 million records, Andrae said, and the company was "really into what I was doing."
Under the three-year recording agreement, the company will budget $100,000 to make a record.
In France, Andrae hopes to select about a dozen of 30-some tunes to record. Bassist Steve Rodby has agreed to play with him. And Helik Hadar, engineer for Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning Album of the Year for 2008, River: The Joni Letters, will help with the recording. "It's an honor to play with these people," Andrae said.
After the birth of Celine, the local group Many Mothers, which helps families with newborns, visited Andrae and his wife, Amy Anderson. On May 10, Andrae will return the favor with a benefit concert for the organization. A silent auction starts at 6:30 p.m. with the performance at 7:30 p.m. Call 983-5984 for more information.
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